Water as cross-cutting factor in the SDGS under review at the high-level policy forum for sustainable development (HLPF) 2019 in Africa

The objective of this paper is to contribute to increasing the understanding of African policy-makers on the central role
water plays in achieving the SDGs through facts and case studies of Africa and to serve as a call for action to African decision-makers on the importance of water for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review in
the 2019 High Level Political Forum (HLPF). The theme of the latter is set to be ‘Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’. The Goals under consideration are: SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 8 (decent work and economic
growth), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), and SDG 17
(partnerships).
Profound interlinkages exist between all the aforementioned SDGs, with water being the cross-cutting factor. Identifying
and understanding these interconnections is of particular importance to set water high on the political agenda and to
identify follow-up priority actions that may increase policy coherence and effectiveness in addressing these interlinked
issues in a holistic approach at a regional and national scale.